Violent Dreams
by Spirit414
Summary: Jake starts having nightmares.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Ok, so I was browsing through all of the Brothers Grimm fanfic, and I realized there wasn't nearly enough. So I thought to myself, "Well, why don't I just write one myself?" Because almost ALL of the stories I'd been reading were either something stupid about a girl who "gets involved with the Brothers" etc crap, or something fantastic that was never finished. ****So, I humbly offer up this story, something I know probably isn't the best thing in the world, and probably a plot line everyone is sick of. But I'm a huge fan of that good old brotherly love between the brothers. So it's not Grimmcest, but it can be if you REALLY want it to be :) **

**I also really have no idea where I'm going with this story, but would love a beta to help me with that little detail, something I think is relatively important. So here you are, something new for the fans that are still out there. This is my contribution, enjoy!! Oh yeah, and review and tell me what you think. I'd love to know. **

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own the Brother's Grimm, but I do own Matt Damon ;) **

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**Violent Dreams**

**Chapter One**

_Jake thinks he must be flying. His body feels light as a feather, and the wind rushes through his clothes as he glides through the air. Yes, Jake knows he is flying, that much is certain, but where is he flying to, and most importantly, HOW? He tries to look around, but it seems his neck and head are stuck in glue, and there is no way for him to even get a glimpse of his surroundings. Instead, he simply closes his eyes and enjoys the feel of the wind on his face. _

_Jake simply feels peaceful, the most peaceful he knows he's been since he was ten years old. _

_After a few moments, Jake feels something drop into his hand, and it feels stuck there, dragging him down from his serene flight to the distant earth below. When he opens his eyes, Jake finds himself staring into the panic stricken eyes of his brother as he plunges the witch's knife straight into Will's heart. Jake gasps in shock, both of them falling to the ground. It isn't until Jake falls on top of Will's body and looks into the lifeless blue eyes that he starts sobbing. _

_And it isn't until he hears the chilling voice cut through his own heart that he starts screaming, covering his ears with his hands crusted in his own brother's blood. _

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"Jake!! Jacob! JAKE!" Jacob grim jolted awake in the very bed he'd gone to sleep in mere hours before, staring up at a painfully familiar pair of blue eyes.

"Will!" The name was more of a gasp if anything as Jake scrambled to cling on to whatever piece of his brother he could reach first. Jake buried his face into the crook of Will's strong neck, sobbing almost hysterically as will tried his best to calm him, murmuring reassuring words into his ear and rubbing soothing circles along his back.

"It's alright Jake, it was just a dream, a bad dream is all." Will hugged the smaller man close to him, rocking him in a way their mother used to do when Jake woke up from a nightmare.

When Jake managed to choke out his last sob, Will held onto him for a minute longer, breathing a small sigh of relief before releasing him. "Are you alright then?" Will asked, finding it difficult to meet his brother's eyes simply because Jake refused to look at him. "Jacob."

At this Jake finally looked up, seeming to flinch when his brown eyes connected with Will's blue ones. He nodded, mumbling a yes and rubbing his red rimmed eyes.

"Good." And with a single pat on the back and ruffle of Jake's hair, Will was gone, having returned to his own bed, light snores filling the small room minutes later.

Jake was left huddled under the single wool blanket with nothing but the memory of Will's strong arms around him to ward off the demons that plagued his dreams. This was how the routine had been for the past two weeks. Jake woke up screaming, Will was there long enough for him to calm down, and then he simply went back to bed and acted like the whole ordeal never happened.

This, at least Jake thought, must take some serious effort on Will's part. Will could ignore Jacob easily, he had been for years, but Jake knew that Will was tired from staying awake with his brother night after night. Jake also knew he was being a nuisance and hated himself for it.

But what he didn't know was why he was having the nightmares NOW of all times, nearly a month after the incident with the witch and the tower, and Will had—Jake felt a shudder run down his spine and pulled the blanket closer around himself, images of what he'd done still flashing through his mind.

Jake felt his eyes pricking with tears and let a small whimper escape, wiping furiously at his eyes. Will shifted in the bed next to him, muttering something in his sleep. No, there was no way he was going to wake Will up again.

Knowing there was no possible way for him to fall back asleep; Jake curled up, holding onto himself desperately as if he believed he would lose himself if he didn't. He tried to direct his thoughts down a more pleasant road as he struggled to keep his eyes open until the first rays of morning sunlight shone through the dirty panes of the window.

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**Ok, I know it's a bit short, and I'll try to make the chapters longer in the future, but know now that I'm just not a long chapter kind of person. So they'll always be a bit shorter than whatever you think the norm is. Alright, with that said, go review!!!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Ok, althought I've had no reviews, I'm still going to continue with this story because I know someone will read it eventually. And it's also just one more story to add to the complete lackage of Brother's Grimm stuff out there. So here's installment two if anyone wants to read it. Though I would appreciate it if you would review if you read it, because that's even more motivation for me to write it. **

**Also, like I said before, I'm still not really sure where I'm going with this story, so if it seems weird or unorganized, that's because it is. I would also still like a beta if anyone would like to offer their services. **

**Disclaimer: Turns out, I don't actually own Matt Damon either. Oh well. **

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**Violent Dreams**

**Chapter Two**

Will woke to find Jacob's bed empty. Glancing round the small room, he found Jake's glasses and book gone. Good, Jacob hadn't sleep-walked in a while, but Will knew his brother was a very active sleeper.

Will sat up and rubbed his bleary eyes, suppressing a yawn. It had taken Jake more than an hour to stop his crying, which was approximately ten minutes more than the night before, and Will stored this little bit of information in his head for later. As much as he'd love to deny it, Will was very concerned for his brother. He'd like to think that easily spooked Jake was simply going through some kind of phase, but Jacob hadn't had nightmares like that since their sister died, and Will had been too angry with him to care. Will also knew that those nightmares had never ceased; he sometimes heard Jake muttering and crying in his sleep, something about those damn magic beans.

Stretching his arms over his head, Will tried to forget about Jake and hoped that he would just snap out of whatever was haunting him. He quickly changed into more suitable clothing and headed out into the street to see where his brother had managed to run off to.

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After lying awake for the last few hours of the night, Jacob had been grateful for the daylight, and decided there was no use waiting for Will to wake up, simply because of the fear that Jacob himself would fall back asleep. So instead, he quietly slipped out of bed, grabbed his book and glasses and after changing out of his sleepwear, headed out into the streets for a suitable place to write.

Now he was curled up on a bench near a small pond, scratching away at the pages before him. Once the pen hit the paper everything was forgotten. There was purely just Jake and his imagination to take him wherever he wanted to go. Suppressing a yawn, Jake's pen flew across the yellowed paper, telling stories of wolves and girls with little red capes, and children who used breadcrumbs to find their way home.

He didn't dare touch the subject of the witch and her story, something he'd started long ago in the very spot where the horrors that now attacked his mind had taken place. Jake had tried his best to bury those particular memories, which were still very fresh in his mind. This was why he had decided that morning that he would refrain from sleeping as much as possible.

Now, one would naturally consider this an irrational choice, but Jacob had though it through in the hours he'd spent lying awake. It would benefit everyone, and by everyone he meant Will. Jake was embarrassed night after night to wake up in such a state, and he was more than certain that Will was too. Most people already thought Jake was mad by the words that came out of his mouth, and he knew how that deflated his brother's status. If the townspeople knew that Jake dreamt like a man possessed, Will would never be able to live it down.

So really, Jake not sleeping was actually a very well thought out, rational decision.

He nodded to himself, the pen having frozen over the paper as Jake was lost in his own thoughts. Sure, he'd be tired, but was that really a heavy price to pay for his brother's happiness?

Jake didn't really think so.

After all, Jake had already ruined enough of their lives with those goddamn magic—"Jake?"

Will's voice cut through the silence provided from his hidden sanctuary, and Jake gasped and whipped around, his eyes raking the area before they landed on Will.

"Christ Will, do you always have to sneak up on me like that?" Jake's heart was still pounding a mile a minute from the scare and his breath was coming in short gasps.

Will ignored him and continued, "I thought you might be doing something like this, it's just always impossible to know where. You really should leave some sign of where you're going before you just get up and leave."

Jake held back another awn and turned his back on Will, muttering a simple apology before attempting to gather his thoughts on where he'd left off in his story. He didn't expect Will to sit down next to him, attempting to peek at what his brother had written.

"You're very obvious about that you know," Jake said without looking up.

Will sighed, "How come you never let me read what you've written in that book hm? He was slightly hurt that his brother constantly hid the book from him, mostly because he was genuinely interested in what the pages held.

Jake didn't answer and all that was heard for the moment was the annoying scratch of the pen against the paper. "Jake?"

Still nothing.

"Jake. Jacob Grimm, look at me." Will was suddenly extremely irritated with his brother and was sick of being ignored. He knitted his eyebrows and tried again, "Jake, answer me."

After another moment of silence, Will sighed loudly and tried to make a grab for the blasted, book, to which Jake finally reacted, slamming the cover and leaping up from the bench in one fluid moment. When Jacob finally met Will's eyes, it looked as if he were about to cry.

"Jake?" Will's voice was considerably softer now, "Wha—"

"I can't have one minute to myself can I?" Jake's hands flailed about with every word, and his glasses were dangerously close to slipping off of his nose. "You can't just let me have my book be mine? You always have to shove your nose into my business!"

Will was exceptionally confused by this pint, and shook his head, "I'm sorry for being interested in your life Jake! I don't know why I even bother with you anymore, that book's probably filled with magic beans isn't it!" Will gave one last glare to his brother before leaving Jake standing rather pitifully by himself.

All the anger had seeped out of Jake as quickly as it had come. Must Will constantly remind him of the mistake that tore apart their lives? Watching Will walk away, he sat back down on his bench, concentrating to keep the hot tears in his eyes.

Will had been being nice to him, and then Jake had to go and ruin it by blowing up about nothing. He was completely sure where his anger had come from in the first place, but he knew it wasn't about his book.

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that every time his eyes even strayed in Will's direction, he was reminded of his horrible nightmares. Which Jake was beginning to realize was going to post a rather difficult problem for him, considering that he and Will went everywhere together.

Jake sighed and tucked his book into the bag he'd brought with him. There was no way he could refocus his thoughts long enough to write. In fact, Jake didn't really want to think about anything at all, and there was only one way to really ensure that.

Shoving his glasses back onto his face, Jake stood up and headed over to the tavern where the brothers were currently staying. Although Jake knew the effects alcohol had on him, he was feeling rather sorry for himself and figured that a pint of ale and a nice dark corner could do wonders.

He could forget about Will, forget about his stupidity and most of all, forget about those horrific nightmares.

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**So what do you think? I know Jake going to get drunk is probably a bit OOC, but it sets up the awesome Will-takes-care-of-Jake-adorably scene I have nex. Review please, and updates will happen. Thanks! **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Ok, with two wonderous reviews, I forge ahead. Thanks to anonymous and Vegetasgirl for reviewing!! You guys made my day. :D I've made a small little edit: I messed up the first two chapters by spelling Jakob with a C, because my instinct told me to do that. But I've fixed that now, so just forget I ever made that mistake. ;) **

**Sorry this chapter is so short, but the next one will be longer, I PROMISE, but this chapter actually stands better on its own then if I would have combined chapter four with it. Things will move along a bit faster if you guys review. **

**Disclaimer: Alright, I don't own anything. I don't think you'd want to watch the movie if I did. **

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**Violent Dreams**

**Chapter Three**

Will was positively seething by the time he returned to the village. _'Stupid Jake,'_ he thought, shaking his head, _'always upset about something or another. He always makes the biggest deals out of everything.'_

Will would have thought that Jake would be grateful that he took the time to stay awake with him and hold him like he was ten years old again. Like he was a child. And Will did this night after night for nearly two weeks, and what did he get? Some accusation that his nose was always in his brother's business.

Of course, Will hadn't decided to acknowledge his brother's problem either, but he figured if Jake wanted to talk about it he'd come find Will himself. Besides, Will wasn't really one for mushy heart-to-heart's with anyone, more or less his own brother.

He tried to busy himself with small errands for the rest of the day, buying this, selling that, whatever would keep him from having to face Jake again. No, Will wasn't a coward, and contrary to whatever anyone else may think, Will did not like to fight with his brother, though he may have been the start of many of their quarrels. Jake just frustrated Will to no end, with his talk of magic and his obsession with his stories. And although he'd tried to look past it, Will's cynical, down-to-earth personality couldn't grasp the way his brother's mind worked.

Eventually though, Will ran out of excuses to wander around, and sullenly turned in the direction of the tavern where they were staying. He thought he might stop for a drink before going upstairs, and as he entered he noticed a man slumped over a book that looked uncannily like—"Jake?"

The man didn't move.

No, it couldn't be Jakob. Jake didn't drink. Jake couldn't hold his ale. But as Will neared this man, he couldn't' deny the face that it was indeed his brother, nearly passed out over his book with a half a pint of ale still clutched in his hand.

"Jakob?" Will nudged his shoulder and Jake stirred from his drunken stupor. Breathing a sigh of relief, Will sat down at the table and gently tugged the book out from under Jake's face. And even though he was completely and utterly drunk, Jake still raised his head and looked around with glassy eyes until they registered Will's presence.

"Will," Jake's voice was thick and his words were impossibly slurred, "what're…doing with my book…" He trailed off, grabbing his head.

Will grimaced at the state of his brother and yawned, all those house staying awake at night finally catching up to him. It seemed as if his drink would have to wait until another night.

He gently snaked his arm around his brother's waist and Jake groaned with the movement. Will realized Jakob was going to be absolutely no help with this situation, and after stuffing the book into the tiny bag next to his brother, tugged Jake off of his chair and into a standing position. Will allowed a firm grip on his brother, now fully supporting his weight.

After a small nod to the barmaid, he hauled Jake slowly up the single flight of stairs to their bedroom, shoving Jake through the door and following shortly after. He turned around while his brother undressed, and was surprised to hear his brother speak after he had somewhat successfully changed into his sleepwear.

"You know," he said thoughtfully, swaying slightly, "I actually feel much better now Will." Jake toppled over after the last word, and Will had to dart across the room to catch him before he slammed into the wooden floor.

"Oh really Jake?" Jake nodded from his spot in his brother's arms, "Well, I think you need to go to bed. You'll feel even better in the morning."

At the mention of sleep Jakob's eyes widened and he clung to Will, "No!! No Will, can't go to sleep."

Will seized his chance, "Why not Jake?" Will's voice was soothing, a tone he only saved for rare, affectionate moments with his brother. And since Jake wouldn't remember a thing in the morning, he figured it wouldn't hurt to do a little prying.

"I can't tell you." Jake's eyes had suddenly filled with tears, "Please Will, don't make me go to sleep."

Will knew that Jake was going to pass out eventually anyway, so he carried him over to his bed and dropped him, climbing in next to his brother. "Well I'm tired alright, so I'm going to go to sleep. You can do whatever you want."

Jake nodded and huddled into Will's side like a child seeking warmth, and Will sighed, allowing his arms to fall around his brother and hold him close. Jake had never been so blatently needy for affection, and Will figured it probably had something to do with the alcohol.

Jakob soon faded into unconsciousness, and Will hugged him even tighter, praying that whatever was bothering Jake would somehow work itself out.

That night, Jakob did not wake up screaming.

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**Okie dokie, what do you think? Did you love it, hate it, somehwere in between? Tell me!! And don't be afraid to point out mistakes or something, I enjoy that too. **

**~Spirit**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Alrighty!! Here I am with another chapter to add to my (somewhat) epic Brother's Grimm story. I watched the movie this weekend to inspire me to finish this fic (because I always write like 5 chapters ahead of what I'm posting) and hopefully I can overcome my writer's block and find a suitable ending to this story. But in the meantime, here you all go! **

**Much thanks to Vegetasgirl, LegendsofRandomness, and my one awesome anonymous reviewer!! Thanks for taking the time to review my fic so thorougly and give such wonderful feedback. I hope I don't let you down! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own them blah blah blah, I get no profit, blah blah blah. Is that good enough for you? **

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**Chapter Four**

When Jake stirred the first thing he noticed was that he was quite warm, and his stiff muscles decided that they would very much like to stay where they were. It wasn't until he tried to lift his head did Jake realize that he was very, very hung-over.

Suppressing a groan, he squeezed his eyes shut and snuggled into the source of the warmth, trying to remember what exactly had happened the night before. Well, he'd gotten drunk, that much was definitely certain, and by the intensity of his headache Jake concluded that he'd gotten much too drunk for his own good.

Oh Lord, he hadn't done anything embarrassing had he? All Jake remembered was walking into the tavern and ordering several drinks. He tried to think past that, but all he received from his pounding head were fuzzy images, then simply nothing.

Then how had he gotten here? Will must have brought him up, unless Jake stumbled up himself. But then where was Will?

As if on cue, the source of Jake's warmth shifted and sighed in his sleep, and Jake felt a pair of two very strong arms subconsciously tighten around him.

Well, that solved that problem. Normally Jake would have shoved his brother off of him and moved to his own bed, but he was far too stiff and his head ached badly enough for him to just stay where he was.

Besides, Will never hugged him, and Jake thought he might as well soak in the affection while he could, even if Will didn't realize he was being kind to the brother he constantly said he despised.

Jake lay as still as he could, enjoying the closeness between them. He couldn't remember the last time his brother had given him a hug purely for the sake of it, perhaps to remind Jakob that deep down inside, Will did love him.

Wouldn't that be nice.

Jake was slightly surprised at the fact that he had no recollection of having a nightmare that night, and realized that the alcohol had done its job. Of course, Jakob knew he could get drunk every single night, but maybe every once in a while, when he needed a break. Although he didn't feel quite as rested as he might like, and the hangover was a side effect, he figured he could manage a night like this at least twice every three weeks or so. That wouldn't be too suspicious would it?

Will shifted again and stiffened, and Jake sighed, knowing Will had realized he'd been sharing the same bed with his brother. The arms loosened around his shoulders and waist, and Jake figured it would be easier for the both of them if he pretended to be asleep while Will woke up.

He let his heavy eyelids drop and his body go limp as Will detangled himself. The warmth and security beside him disappeared, and Jake was surprised to feel the rough skin of Will's palm stroke his cheek briefly before the door finally closed.

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Will headed downstairs to put together a decent breakfast for his brother. He knew Jake recovered from his hangovers fairly quickly, and also knew a meal would help with the process.

"Hello Herr Grimm," the barmaid said as he reached the bar, "I hope your brother is feeling alright."

Will shook his head, a small frown adorning his features, "I'm afraid not, it seems he had quite a bit to drink last night from what I saw."

The barmaid, Cassie, nodded, "It was rather peculiar you see Herr Grimm,"

"Will, please," he interjected, eager to hear what exactly his brother had done last night.

"Alright, Will. Well, he came in here looking rather upset, muttering something about needing to get drunk." Will's frown deepened; that didn't sound like the Jake he knew.

"He ordered quite a few drinks, and after about two or three, started muttering again, louder this time, about how he couldn't go to sleep because he would bother you Will. When I asked him why, he wouldn't say. It wasn't long after that until he just stopped talking altogether. Then you came in and carried him upstairs."

Will was now deeply troubled by his brother's behavior. Jake was always exceedingly loud and obnoxious when he was under the influence of alcohol. Will came to the conclusion that whatever was bothering Jake was something must more serious than he'd initially thought.

And the fact that Jakob said he couldn't go to sleep because of him only made Will's anxiety worse. Sure, staying up while Jake cried wasn't really his idea of a restful night, but Will would be there as long as Jake needed him. That was something he thought Jake already knew.

"Will? Herr Grimm?" At Cassie's voice Will snapped back to reality.

"Sorry. Do you have some food I could possibly take to my brother Cassie? I can pay you back when I get the money."

Cassie shook her head, "Don't worry about it. Anything for Herr Jakob."

Will nodded, "Thank you, I'm sure my bother will appreciate your generous hospitality."

He collected the tray of food, and with another nod at the barmaid headed upstairs to find Jakob still curled under the blankets, but with his eyes now open.

He groaned when Will slammed the door, "Please," he croaked, throat dry, "not so loud."

"Well," Will scoffed, "It's your fault for getting so wasted last night. You should be ashamed of yourself Jakob." He set the tray down on the bedside table.

Jake winced at Will's harsh tone and pulled the blanket up to his chin, struggling to keep his eyes open. "I didn't do anything embarrassing, did I?"

Jakob's voice seemed rather small and he looked so forlorn and beaten under the blanket, that Will's features softened as he realized how Jake must be feeling.

He noticed the way his brother was struggling to stay awake and suggested, "Look Jake, why don't you eat something, then go to sleep for a few more hours? I'm sure you'll feel as good as new again." Will's voice was surprisingly tender and his countenance had softened considerably.

Jake shook his head quickly, immediately groaning afterwards. "No, really, I'm not tired Will. I actually feel alright."

Will stared at his brother who was obviously lying, "You can't be serious Jakob," he said, "Last night you drank enough for the both of us and now you feel alright?" Will knitted his eyebrows in concern and sat down on the edge of the bed, "What's _wrong_ Jake?"

Jakob peered up at him from under his blanket with bloodshot eyes, "Nothing Will, I'm fine, ok?" His words were muffled, and Will knew it was to hide the slight shakiness that always appeared when Jake lied about something.

"I feel fine, and I most definitely don't need to sleep." To prove his point, he shoved himself into a sitting position; his eyes squeezed shut so he wouldn't have to watch the room spinning. "See?"

Will sighed, his face suddenly looking very tired, "I'm your brother Jake, you can tell me anything, do you know that?" Jake just stared at him.

"I know you're not alright and I know it's because of those nightmares you've been having. Despite whatever you may think I'm not stupid and I know when something's wrong with you. I just don't know why. I wish you would tell me." Here he paused and looked at Jake who's eyes were suddenly glassy with tears. "Why can't you tell me?"

Jake swallowed and looked away, "I'm sorry Will, this is something I need to do by myself. I can't tell you." His voice was hoarse and he was fiddling with the hem of the blanket.

Will's face fell and he ran a hand through his hair, all at once pulling his brother into a hug. "I'm worried about you Jake," Will gruffly whispered in his brother's ear, "I just wish you could talk to me. I'm sorry."

And just as quickly as it had happened, Will was gone, the door shutting with a sense of finalization, and Jake was left alone in the bed once more.

Grabbing his book and opening to a blank page, Jake dated the top and settled in to write. He sipped at some of the coffee that Will brought him to ease his headache, and knew it was going to be a long day.

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**Alright, there you go. What do you think? Stupid, awesome, completely lame-o? Let me know! **

**See you all soon! **

**~Spirit**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Alright guys, here I am back with another chapter. Sorry this took so long, but I was doing some serious thinking about where this story was going and then looking at what I had already written. And you know, I sort of hated it. So I ripped out all of those pages from my notebook and rewrote this thing. So hopefully it'll be better than what I had planned. **

**Now, as to where I'm going with this. You know, I'm still not really sure. I mean, it does have a plot and all that good stuff, but I think the main idea here was to really look at the characters of Will and Jake and see how they work. Now, that idea probably sucks for this story too, but that's kind of what I'm getting at. Like, Jake's finally reaching a point where he can't take all the critisizm and guilt that Will's put on him all those years, and this is his mind's manifestation of that guilt. Get it now? So hopefully I'm keeping everything wonderful and canon, and don't worry, there will be a happy ending :D I can't do sad stuff. **

**So I guess I should shut up now and we can get on with the story, but I felt as if I had to explain all of that before I went on with this story. Ok, once again, thanks to my awesome reviewers, I hope I don't let you down! **

**Disclaimer: *insert witty disclaimer here* **

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**Chapter Five**

It seemed to Will as if Jake's condition was at a standstill. Their little talk may have had some impact on him, but Will couldn't be sure. At least this is what he thought, and he'd been watching his brother very carefully over the past few days. It didn't seem as if Jake was sleeping, circles were appearing under his eyes and his responses had slowed. He also looked a bit run down, but Will tried to convince himself that it was only because of the place they were staying. (One would think that the townsfolk would give better lodging to the Brothers Grimm, honestly) So Will let himself be deluded, putting all of his trust in what he could see rather than trying to ask his brother what was wrong again.

It had also troubled Will that Jake was so reluctant to let him help. He couldn't figure out what was so horrible that Jake couldn't tell his brother, and it seemed as if day by day it was just becoming worse instead of simply going back to the way things were, the way Will liked them to be.

Though as the week went by, Will realized that his little fantasy probably wasn't going to happen.

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And as for Jake?

Jake was balancing on a line much to thin for his taste, feeling as though he was going to fall off the edge any second. There was something constantly tugging and pressing at the back of his mind, a darkness that was patiently waiting for its turn to snatch his sanity away from him, and Jake was scared to death of it.

This problem was what occupied the majority of Jake's mind on a daily basis, and it was what he was thinking about now as he lay awake in his tiny bed. His mind felt foggy, and he struggled to make his neck move so he could settle his eyes on the slow rise and fall of his younger brother's chest.

Jake always marveled at the fact that Will was in fact younger than him, even if it was only by a year. Will had always taken care of him, ever since they were little kids because Jake was too small and meek to get the job done.

The fact that Jake, the older of the two was incapable of assuming responsibility after Lotte died just added to the massive amount of guilt that had been slowly piling up over the years.

And this was why Jake refused to allow Will to help him, because Jake knew that if he was ever going to do anything for himself and act like the oldest, he'd better do it now. Jakob hoped that he was able to handle this himself and prove to Will that yes, he was actually good for something.

Jake felt his eyes sliding shut and shook himself awake. It had been what? Three or four days now that he had refused to sleep, and nothing seemed real anymore. He seemed to be stuck somewhere between awareness and unconsciousness, in some sort of daze where he didn't notice time passing, couldn't distinguish one day from the next.

He wasn't sure if Will noticed yet mostly because he couldn't focus on anything for all of two minutes, and as far as he knew Will hadn't asked him about it again. Part of Jake almost wanted Will to help him, despite his efforts to handle it himself. But no, he was going to stick it out until he figured out what his problem was or stopped having nightmares.

Both of those options seemed rather unlikely, but Jake could hope, couldn't he?

Though it was hard to think when Jake's mind was mud and his whole body felt as if he were walking through some kind of thick fog.

Jake yawned and rubbed at his burning eyes. All he wanted to do was _sleep, _burrow under the blankets and finally give in to the raging exhaustion….

No, no, he couldn't do that because he'd dream. And if he dreamt he'd scream. Screaming woke up Will….

Will.

Jake turned his head and let his eyes fall back onto his brother, peacefully sleeping in the bed next to him. That's when Jake's heart stopped in his chest, his breath caught, and a scream bubbled up inside his chest and died in his throat.

Will, instead of sleeping like he was supposed to be was sprawled across the bed with a knife sticking out of his chest, the blood pooling around him a sickening shade of black in the darkness, already soaking the blankets.

"Will…." Jake brokenly whispered, and much to his horror, Will turned and looked at him with dead eyes, a wicked smirk on his face. When he spoke, the voice that emerged was painfully cold and familiar.

"What is it Jakob? Are you scared?"

Jake squeezed his eyes shut but the image wouldn't fade.

"You can't save me Jakob, you can't even save yourself."

Jake shrank away from the dead body of his brother, but it came nearer still.

"Go find your magic beans Jakob," The cruel voice hissed, now directly in his ear, "go find your magic beans…."

Jake's eyes flew open and he sat up in his bed, breathing heavily. His bloodshot eyes darted around the room before finally landing on Will. Snoring slightly with his mouth open, Will's exposed chest was beautifully smooth save for the one scar that glowed white in the moonlight, directly over his heart.

Jake had put that there.

He felt another shudder wrack his body, this time bringing choked sobs with it. Curled up into a ball, he resisted the urge to climb into bed next to Will and seek comfort from his brother.

In the dark room in the middle of the night, Jakob sobbed quietly, very, very much alone.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

More days passed, Jake still didn't sleep. At least he hoped he didn't. There was no way to be sure anymore what was real and what was in his mind. He saw bloody Wills and menacing queens everywhere he turned, and through his half lidded eyes he couldn't tell the difference between the real Will and the one that haunted him.

He stopped writing.

He stopped talking.

Jakob did nothing but exist.

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**So, as you can see from this chapter, Jake is obviously getting worse. What's going to happen? Will Jake get over his nightmares and will Will finally try and help him again? Stay tuned to find out!! :D (couldn't resist) **

**But don't forget to review! They make me happier than those clams we always talk about.**

**~Spirit**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Alright. I do apologize for the long wait, but I sort of got into a bit of a Harry Potter phase, well, actually a Drarry phase if you guys know what that means. So while I was supposed to be writing this chapter I was instead reading "Ten Steps" a fantastic D/H fic. Go check it out if you're fans of Drarry. I might actually have to write one myself if I ever get around to it, so if you're a fan, check for that at some point. **

**Ok anyway, onto the chapter. **

**I hope everything's canon, and I know I'm dragging this out, but I'm getting to the climax slowly but surely, some heavy stuff is gonna happen in the next chapter. So prepare your wonderful selves. Ok, enjoy the chapter, and don't forget to leave me a review! **

**Disclaimer: The Grimm Brothers are actually in my closet right now. Go ahead, sue me.**

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**Chapter 6**

There was definitely something wrong with his brother. Will knew that. He could see Jake deteriorating right before his eyes, and it caused a foreign fear to begin to build up in his chest. Will hated feeling helpless, and the fact that there seemed to be nothing he could do for his brother drove him absolutely crazy. Although Jakob had told him that he didn't want any help, Will had to do something. He couldn't stand to watch his brother drive _himself_ crazy because he refused help, and Jake had never had this sort of problem before. He'd gotten sick before, sure, maybe a cold, but nothing compared to his brother seeing things in the shadows, flinching away when Will looked at him.

The man before him wasn't his loving, kind brother Jakob. Instead, it was merely a shell, a thin mask that was pretending to be his brother. A mask, Will feared, was on the verge of breaking at any moment, and he was sure he didn't want to see what his brother had become on the other side.

Will knew he had to do something to save his brother's sanity, because as much as Jake wanted to deny it, it was slowly slipping away from him, and there was nothing he could do about it.

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"Jake. Jakob. Jakob Grimm!"

Jake lifted his head from his hands and slowly turned to look at Will, his eyes hollow and alarmingly bloodshot. Will suppressed the grimace that tried to fight its way on to his face at Jake's appearance. The circles under his eyes looked more like bruises, and Jake's cheekbones were more pronounced, as if he'd lost weight.

Had he? Will couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Jake eat, and he definitely had a more gaunt-like appearance to him. This in itself worried Will, and he made a mental note to personally feed Jake himself.

"What Will." Jake's thick voice sloppily cut through his thoughts, and Will had to think for a moment about exactly what he wanted to bother his brother about.

"Um, I just wanted to inform you that you're about to spill your ale brother." Jake's glass was precariously perched on the edge of the bar where they were currently sitting.

"Hm?" Jake moved his elbow a fraction of an inch and sent the glass crashing to the ground with a sickening shatter.

Will sighed, smiling apologetically at the barmaid who flirtatiously returned it, "Don't you worry about a thing Herr Grimm," she said in a tone Will assumed was supposed to be sultry, "I'll have this mess cleaned up in no time."

Will nodded and rolled his eyes when she turned around. Every town was the same, but Will knew he wasn't going to further anything with this girl, although she was quite pretty. Not in the state his brother was in. Will also knew the traveling was getting to Jake, but they, well rather Will, couldn't seem to find a proper place to settle down in.

Jake had made some good money with some of his stories, but their reputation seemed to follow them everywhere, forcing Will to continue to move when the villagers became to hard to deal with. And really, they did.

Jake was now slumped over on the bar, the bustle of the tavern's nightlife falling dead on his ears. Will sighed, realizing it was probably a bad idea to drag Jake down here with him.

Draining the last of his pint, he nudged Jake on the shoulder and he once again wearily lifted his head.

"You know," Will mused lightly, "this party's getting rather boring, wouldn't you say Jake?" He was met with Jake's half lidded eyes, something Will had grown used to. "I think I'm about ready for bed, how about we go upstairs?"

Jake merely grunted and Will moved to get up when the pretty barmaid stopped him. "Going so soon? I can buy you a drink if you stay a bit longer. I'm sure you have many wonderful stories to tell." She batted her eyelashes at him and Will felt a small pang of attraction before shaking it off. He couldn't leave Jake here by himself. He couldn't really leave Jake anywhere by himself.

He smiled in what he hoped was a regretful way, "I'm terribly sorry, I'd love to stay and have another drink, but I'm afraid my brother isn't exactly feeling well."

She pouted at him, and Will had half a mind to drop Jakob right there and drag her up to his room instead. But Will's mind was made up, and he tore his eyes away from her to attend to his brother. "Come on Jake, let's get you upstairs."

With one last wink at the barmaid, he hoisted his lethargic brother off his chair and wrapped a strong arm around him, half hauling him up the stairs. Will had made up his mind that he was going to talk to Jakob whether he liked it or not.

Jake feebly pushed at Will's arms when they got to the bedroom, "Get off Will, I can walk by myself," He mumbled, stumbling over to his side of the room and sitting down on his bed.

"Come on Jake, I need to talk to you." Will strode over to Jake and pushed him lightly, "Wake up a bit will you?"

Jake shook his head, trying to battle the exhaustion, "I am awake. What do you want Will."

Will took a deep breath before beginning the speech he'd been preparing in his head over the last few days, "Jake, you have to know that I know you're not ok. Please, you have to tell me what's going on or I can't help you."

Jake didn't answer, but his eyes did seem to gleam with more life than before. "You wouldn't understand," He muttered, dropping his gaze to stare at the wooden floor.

"What can you possibly mean by that?" Will was suddenly becoming incredibly irritated. This wasn't how he'd imagined Jake answering. "I won't understand? I'm your brother Jake!" Will was yelling now, "Who wouldn't understand more than me? You can't just sit here and expect me to believe you. I'm not—"

He paused, his hand hovering over a certain spot on his chest, "Ow," he muttered. Will's heart had never given him trouble before, maybe one or two pangs when Jake woke up screaming with his nightmares and Will was thrown into a worried frenzy. He figured it was a side effect from having an enchanted dagger pierced through the most essential organ and then simply walking away as if nothing had happened.

Jake was now incredibly alert, more so than he'd been in the past week. In a second he was on his feet, "What is it, what's wrong?"

Will rubbed the scar as his chest gave another painful pang, "Nothing, I'm fine. Sit down, I'm not done talking to you."

There was obvious worry in Jake's eyes, and his breathing had become panicked and shallow. Will placed a hand on Jake's shaking shoulder, "Jake, I'm alright. No need to worry."

"It's the scar, isn't it?" He demanded, "It's hurting you."

"Jake, calm down, it doesn't hurt me often."

Jake's eyes widened, "Oh, so it's hurt you before, has it? Will, you really should have said something."

Will took a few short breaths as the pain subsided, and glared at his brother, "I should have said something? You're the one who's been comatose for days and refused all my attempts to help you. And I still don't know what's wrong with you!"

"That doesn't matter when you're having problems with your heart because of my stupid mistake!"

Will could tell Jakob was getting worked up to the point of tears, but he was still angry. "Honestly Jakob, stop throwing a fit. It's not as if I'm going to drop dead this very moment."

Jake drew back as if he'd been electrified, his eyes narrowed and he clamped his mouth shut.

Will didn't bother figuring out what he'd said that caused his brother to react this way. "I'm so sick of this Jake, I've tried to help you but you won't let me. Fine," he spat, "You're on your own then." He stared at his brother a moment longer before storming out back downstairs, "You're mad," he threw over his shoulder before slamming the door.

Maybe he'd take the barmaid up on that offer after all. Will needed a good distraction.

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**Now, the thing with Will's heart, I'm not sure if it really fits right now, and I probably should have kept a running thread of it throughout the story, but I really wanted to use it because it seems unlikely that he would have no side effects from having multiple sharp objects stuck in his heart. So basically, if it doesn't make any sense, please tell me. I think I'm going to try to make it make sense in the next few chapters though, so just bear with me. **

**Don't forget to review!! **


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N:_ **Ok, I tried something a little different this time, and I'm not completely sure if it works or not. (I suppose I should really have gotten a beta for this story, but whatever, it's a little too late for that) I know this chapter it a bit shorter than the others (which is like, super mega short) but I didn't want to continue with anything else from the next chapter because it would have ruined it. **

**Thanks SO MUCH for all the people who have taken the time to review, because it really means a lot. I do have a lot of story alerts on this one, and whether that means those people are actually coming back and reading, it would be nice if you guys dropped me a review too. Just saying. Uh, so I guess that's it. Enjoy!! **

**Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, never will. **

**Chapter 7**

_Jake thinks he must be flying, although he knows he definitely isn't. Instead of peace, he is flooded with a sickening feeling of dread. He squeezes his eyes shut and waits for the inevitable._

Lips clashed. Soft hands traced under Will's shirt and set his skin on fire. Soft pants and heated breaths could be heard echoing through the empty bar as Will fumbled with the buttons on his shirt.

_The wind is too hard and cold on his face, and Jakob shivers briefly before he feels the dreaded weight slide into his hand, yanking him down, back to earth._

Will stumbled over to the door of the storage pantry and searched blindly for the doorknob between frenzied kisses.

_Against his own will, Jake opens his eyes and Will's glassy blue ones bare straight into his soul. Jake's shaking hand is clenched around the blade that will soon sink into his brother's heart._

Will paused a moment before shutting the door, pressing a hand to the scar that had given him an all-too-familiar twinge of pain. He let his hand linger there for a moment before using them to trace up the pretty barmaid's legs. Will's lips eagerly found her neck, and he reveled in every sigh and gasp that passed her lips.

_Jakob is trapped, struggling to keep the knife from slicing into Will's flesh. The weight presses down on his arm so hard that it hurts._

Clothes were shed, and the pain in Will's chest was building, something he was fighting to ignore. At one point, it became so intense he drew away from the woman, closing his eyes and willing the ache away. "What's wrong?"

Will shook his head, "Nothing, it's nothing."

_Finally, Jake can't take it anymore and the blade slides easily through Will's chest. His eyes widen in horror, and he screams, the pain of murdering his brother tearing through him._

Pain exploded in Will's chest and he broke away, vaguely hearing the scream he knew was coming from his brother in the room upstairs.

"I'm sorry," He gasped, grabbing his chest, "Something is wrong, my brother…" He trailed off, searching for his shirt before shrugging it over his shoulders and hurriedly buttoning it. The barmaid sat in silence, pulling her dress back down over her legs.

"I'm sorry," Will said before opening the door and sprinting upstairs.

_Tears flow freely down Jake's cheeks and every breath is laced with his brother's name. Will's foggy eyes meet his and he opens his mouth as if he wants to speak._

_"Jakob…." Will's voice was cold, inhuman, menacing._

Will burst into the room to find Jake sprawled out on the floor, sobbing over something that didn't seem to be there. "Jakob!!" Jake didn't turn, but instead shrunk away from his voice without registering Will's presence.

"Will…." He moaned, "please…"

"Jake?" Will crossed the room tentatively, afraid to touch his brother, afraid _of _his brother. "Jake?"

Jake screamed and Will recoiled, his heart beating much too quickly and painfully in his chest. His brother did not look at him; Jake seemed to be hallucinating…

It was then that Will realized that Jakob had fallen asleep with his eyes open.

"Leave me alone!" He shrieks, eyes widening in horror as Will sat up with the knife still in his chest, the blood soaking his shirt.

"_I can help you Jakob, if you'll just let me, but you won't." Will muses, his eyes now cold and menacing, "But I don't know how I can even stand to look at you after what you did to me," He gestures to his chest, fingers tracing over the handle of the blade, "and to Lotte." _

"_NO! It was an accident! Just an accident…" Jake whispers, more in an attempt to comfort himself from the truth. _

"_Soon," Will sneers, "you'll be completely alone Jakob, having killed off your entire family." _

"_Please," Jake moans, his hands pressing hard on his ears, trying to block out the bitter voice. It echoed inside his head, a constant reminder. _

"_Soon you'll be completely alone…_

_Look at what you did…_

_To Lotte. _

_To me." _

Jake was suddenly struck hard across the face and thrown backwards. His eyes struggled to focus; the memory of the blade sticking out of Will's heart was forever burned inside his eyelids.

He locked down the sobs he knew were rising in his throat and instead looked up at Will, whose shaking hand was still raised, a look of horror on his face.

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**You know the drill, review!! And let me know in the review if what I did here works even a little bit. I think I'm almost to the end here, maybe only like 3 more chapters. Maybe. **

**~Spirit**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Ok!! Here's another chapter for you guys (or at least whoever's still out there, I only got one review for the last chapter. But it was a WONDERFUL review :D) I hope it's a good length, I know the other one was really short. I tried really hard on this chapter, revising it like a BILLION times. So hopefully you can feel the issues that these brothers are having. I tried to make it sort of awkward between them when they had the fluffy parts, so hopefully I did that right and it feels sort of awkward. So yeah. If you want to review and tell me if I did that right please don't hesitate. Ok. I guess I'll get on with it then. **

**Thanks so much for the review from Anime-catdragon!! **

**Disclaimer: I think I do own the Brother's Grimm. Yeah, that's right, you heard me. **

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**Chapter 8**

Jake leaned back against the side of the bed frame and Will dropped his shaking hand, looking down on him with the same wide eyes as before. The only sound that could be heard in the silence was the brothers' labored, heavy breaths until finally Jake swallowed hard and spoke.

"You can stop looking at me like that you know." Jake drew his knees up to his chest and was looking at Will with the all-too-familiar red-rimmed eyes. There was something else there too; a sort of hardness, a barrier that hadn't been there before, and Will was surprised to see such bitterness behind his brother's foggy glasses that were still wet with tears.

"Oh, I suppose you're going to write this off as nothing and tell me you're fine, are you Jakob?" Will's voice was bordering on hysteric, and he was trying to hide the fear and worry that had been building for days.

Jake's eyes dropped to the ground as if he were ashamed, "No…" he muttered, cleaning his glasses on the hem of his shirt before gently placing them on the bedside table.

"Then what do you have to say for yourself Jake? Care to explain to me what's really going on? Because I don't think you're really 'working it out' or whatever it was you told me."

Jake sighed forcefully, rubbing his face with his hands. "I had a nightmare," he whispered between his fingers.

"Well," Will scoffed, "That much is obvious."

Jake's eyes flicked back up at him, the resentment returning, "Would you quit talking to me like I'm stupid and let me explain?"

Sitting down next to his brother, Will leaned back against the bed frame and sighed. "I'm sorry Jake; I'm just so terribly worried about you, that's all. Please go on."

Jake let his gaze linger momentarily on Will before settling it on the opposite bed. "Well," he began tentatively, "I've been having these if you haven't noticed-which you obviously have- and…they're…you…" Jake trailed off, pressing the heels of his palms over his eyes.

After a moment, Will gently placed a hand on Jakob's shoulder, "You were talking you know, saying my name over and over. I wasn't helping you…was I?" Will wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer to that question until Jake shook his head.

"No. You weren't."

Will's face fell a fraction of and inch before it turned stony, making the hurt. "Please Jakob, what goes on in your dream?" Will knew there was a time and place for everything, and now definitely wasn't the time to dwell on the fact that Jakob was afraid of him.

Though, Will wasn't sure he ever wanted to face that fact.

Jake swallowed but continued nonetheless. "Well, usually I think I'm flying…but I always end up well, in there."

"Where?"

"The tower Will." Jake sighed, slightly exasperated. "I'm stuck there. Right before I--" He trailed off again, seeming as though he were fighting the urge to cry.

"Hey," Will gently cupped a hand under Jake's chin and tilted his head up to look him in the eyes, "I'm your brother Jake, really, you can tell me anything alright?"

Jake squirmed under Will's intense stare and refused to meet his eyes. Will frowned, "Jake, come on, I wouldn't intentionally hurt you, you should know that."

The silence that followed only accentuated the fact that Will and Jake both knew that Will was wrong. "Never mind," he muttered after a few painful seconds. He released Jake and dropped his gaze to the floor, "go on Jakob."

Jake awkwardly shifted a little further away from his brother, "Uh, anyway, I dream I'm in the tower you know, right before I'm about to kill you." The last part was rushed and Will had to strain his ears to catch it.

"And just like when it happened, I do it, and you—you die." Jake's eyes had become glassy, but Will could see he was visibly trying to hold himself together. "But," he choked, his voice becoming a whisper, "instead of you just dying…you speak to me Will. You say such horrible things."

Will didn't have to ask to know what Jake meant. He could imagine several choice insults that could be said to Jakob about nearly everything he did. "Oh Jake, I'm so sorry. I should've known I was doing this to you."

"No!" Jake shook his head quickly, "Please Will, this isn't your fault. I—I should have been able to handle it and I couldn't, please don't blame yourself."

That statement nearly broke Will's heart, and when he spoke again his voice was laced with the tears they both knew he'd never let out. "No Jake, it _is_ my fault, alright?" Will quickly drew his brother into a hug, "I promise I'll try harder."

Jake smiled bitterly to himself; Will had made this promise on more than several other occasions. He nodded anyway, gripping tightly onto the fabric of Will's shirt.

When Will pulled away the compassion seemed to have gone, and the kind brother Jake only saw glimpses of was replaced with the Will he saw every day. "Alright Jake, please tell me what I can do to help you."

Jake sighed again, wringing his hands together, "I don't know honestly, but I can't go back to sleep Will, I just can't." Will could visibly see the anxiety building in his brother, and his heart gave the first twinge of pain since Jake had woken from his nightmare.

His hand flew to his chest and Jake knitted his eyebrows together in concern, "Is it your chest again? What if this means something Will?"

"I'm sure it's nothing Jakob, don't worry about it alright? It only hurts when you're a big mess like right now." Will grinned, trying pathetically to make a joke.

"Really?" Jake seemed genuinely interested at this point, "What if we're connected or something? What if it was the magic in the dagger?" He seemed more relaxed and Will's chest loosened, the pain subsiding.

"Don't be ridiculous Jakob, is that all you ever think about? Magic?" Will had adopted the same tone he always used with his brother, and Jake's face fell, causing Will to wince. "Sorry," he muttered, "I'm not very good at this am I?"

Jake didn't answer, and Will tried again, "Well, can't you just tell yourself it's not real? The dreams, I mean."

"No Will," Jake said, his voice betraying his slight annoyance at his brother's stupidity, "don't you think that if I could do that I would have by now?"

Will pondered this for a moment, "Well, I suppose so," he said finally, rubbing his itching eyes. Will could barely stand staying awake for a few extra hours and he wondered how Jake had managed to keep from sleeping for this long. "I'm sorry Jake, it's really late. Don't you think you could just try?"

Jake looked up at him with wide eyes, the hurt easily displayed on his face. He didn't respond, but he did pick himself up off the floor and begin changing into his sleepwear.

Suddenly, Will remembered the instance when Jake had gotten himself completely drunk and had ended up having to sleep with Will. He hadn't dreamt anything that night, and although it was most likely because of the alcohol, Will couldn't help but think it had something to do with him.

Pulling his shirt over his head, Will turned to face his brother who was sitting on the edge of the bed with a dead expression. "Um, Jakob," he began, "I can't help but think that maybe things would be a bit easier if you slept with me, perhaps. In the same bed I mean."

Jake stared at him for a few moments with a look that made Will's face harden. "You don't have to Jake, it was just a suggestion. I didn't realize that the prospect of being close to me was so horrible." Will shook his head and turned away.

"No Will," Jake answered quietly, "I was just surprised that you suggested it, that's all." He shrugged, staring at Will's back innocently.

Will ignored the pang of guilt that hit him and turned back around, "Alright then, come on."

The fatigue was settling back in, slowing Jake's motions. He crossed the room at a snail's pace; first making sure his book was safely in his bag where it should be. Climbing into the bed, Will settled in next to his brother, pulling the blanket up around the two of them.

Will allowed his arm to fall around his brother's shoulders and Jake hesitantly moved closer to him.

"Jake?"

"Hm?" Jake's voice was already thick with sleep, and it wasn't after several long moments that Will answered.

"You know I'm always here for you right?" His voice held traces of uncertainty, something Jake hadn't heard in a very, very long time. "Even if it doesn't seem like it. I am. All the time."

Jake smiled sadly in the darkness, shifting a fraction of an inch closer, "I know Will, I know."

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**Ok, you know the drill. Go review and make my life better. :D **

**~Spirit**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Notes: Um. I don't know what this is. It's just, I got this review like two days ago, a REALLY nice review of this story, and I realized that I had it finished in my notebook but I'd just never typed it up. So I figured you know, what the hell, might as well finish it if someone read it, and I always hate it when stories go unfinished, so...I'm gonna finish this thing. This chapter is short but whatever, they all are (man, I was so young when I started this fic) **

**Just know that it's typed right out of my notebook, and I haven't really edited it much so it probaby sucks (I like to think I've improved since last time I updated, because I have) so this isn't my best work, but I think it's good enough. :) So I don't even care if I get reviews at this point, I just want to finish this fic for the sake of it being done. **

**So enjoy those of you who are left! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Brothers and never claimed to. Also, this is entirely fiction and should be taken as such. :) **

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As tired as Will had been moments before, he couldn't seem to fall asleep. He let his mind wander, instinctively tightening his arms around Jakob, who had fallen asleep within minutes. There was just something about Jake that triggered the protective nature in will beyond the simple fact that they were brothers.

Jake was just the sort of person who needed protecting. He was sensitive and naïve, all the things that Will wasn't. Will was cynical and hardened, the extrovert to Jake's introvert; he knew the way people and the world worked. Sweet, innocent Jakob couldn't handle the cruelty of the world, and that's where Will came in, shielding him from these things.

Or at least that's what he thought he'd been doing.

But if Jake was having these horrid nightmares about the tower where it was Will who was the one doing the torturing and not the Queen, then Will obviously wasn't doing his job correctly. The impact of this realization was like a slap in the face, and he pulled his brother closer, his eyes pricking with the tears he'd never cried.

Jake infuriated him with his silence, his refusal to tell will anything that went on in that muddled head of his. But why would Jake to tell him anything when all that came out of his mouth was mocked or written off by his brother, the person he was ultimately supposed to trust?

Will shook his head, the sadness turning to anger at himself for causing Jake to be afraid of him. He hugged Jake tightly, as if that could somehow make up for all the years he'd mercilessly bullied his brother.

Jake shifted against Will, throwing an arm around his waist, "Will," he mumbled, a pained expression on his face, "please…"

Will trailed a hand down his brother's back and he sighed, the expression softening ever so slightly. As far as will could tell, Jake's dream wasn't as severe as the one he'd had before, where his eyes had been bloody open…

Will shuddered at the memory of his brother sprawled over the floor screaming at imaginary ghosts with his eyes _open_.

He felt Jake shift next to him again, the same pained expression on his face, and Will's chest gave a small twinge of pain. Will raised the hand that wasn't holding Jake and lightly rubbed the spot with his fingers, running them over the faded scar where the blade had sliced through his chest.

He didn't understand why it was suddenly giving him so much trouble. Sure, it had flared up occasionally when Jake was having his nightmares, but nothing compared to the pain he'd felt while downstairs.

Then again, Jake hadn't really been dreaming then, he'd been having some sort of hallucination. Will would have liked to think it was a coincidence, but Jake would probably say it had something to do with the bloody magic in that dagger. Did that somehow mean that now he and Jake were more deeply connected?

Or was it just when Will became too worked up over something?

Though that didn't explain why it was hurting him now, when he was at complete rest in the middle of the night. Maybe it only pained him when something was wrong with his brother, which would explain the pain he was feeling now while Jake was having unpleasant dreams.

That would make sense, but Will couldn't really remember having problems with it before he'd actually acknowledged it…

Will yawned, snuggling deeper into the blankets and curling slightly around Jake's lean body. He was tired, but his brain didn't want to seem to let him sleep.

Next to him, Jake's grip on his waist tightened and he whimpered softly, muttering becoming more audible. Will was sure he didn't want to hear what his brother was saying, for fear that he'd hear something he'd regret, but Jake had always talked in his sleep, and now he was getting incredibly loud and Will couldn't help but overhear.

"Leave me alone…." Jake mumbled, "no, Will, please." Tears leaked out of the corners of his eyes and Will tightened his own hold on his brother as Jake battled imaginary demons in his mind. "Stop, it was an accident…please!"

Jake was talking rather loudly now, and Will was debating in his mind on whether or not to wake his brother. He decided against it, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"Forgive me." Jake whispered, clutching onto Will's shirt and burying his face into the fabric.

Will froze, knowing that Jake only spoke the absolute truth when he was sleeping, and Will knew that Jake was talking to whatever twisted version of himself that haunted Jake's dreams. Will bit his lip, finally deciding that he had heard enough. All his brother had ever wanted was forgiveness, and Will couldn't even grant him that.

Fresh guilt flooded him, and he shook Jake's shoulders roughly, causing his brother's eyes to peel open with a gasp.

"You alright brother?" Will murmured, wishing he hadn't heard.

Jake nodded slowly, swiping at his eyes with his sleeve, "I'm alright now," he answered thickly, voice still clogged with sleep.

Will swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. It took him several long moments to find his voice, and several more to find the words that would make everything better. "Jake, I…" he trailed off, biting his lower lip, unable to grant his brother the apology that was well over due.

"It's alright Will," Jake mumbled sleepily, "the giants will only get you if you steal the golden harp…"

Will closed his eyes briefly before nodding again. Jake had fallen back into the recesses of his mind, and Will couldn't bear to wake him up again if he wasn't screaming. Not if he was having the normal dream about the giants.

"Don't worry Jakob," Will whispered softly, more for himself than for his brother, "If the giants come I'll protect us."

"Mmm," Jake hummed, rearranging himself against his brother's chest, "love you Will."

Wilhelm Grimm bit his lip, willing away the tears building behind his eyes, but they fell anyway, rolling down his cheeks in silent grief. After nearly fifteen years of holding it all back, Will sobbed quietly in the darkness. For their sister, their mother, for his fragile minded brother, who seemed to still love him after all this time.

But most of all, he cried because he wasn't sure he knew how to answer.


End file.
